The body often sends signals warning of an imbalance or lack of necessary elements within the body. External changes to the skin and nails can occur due to a lack of essential and important nutrients such as minerals and vitamins. These changes are different for different forms of deficiency. Every deficiency in the body can express its defect in an appearance or symptom that distinguishes it from others. Here are 15 of the signs that can appear on the nails and indicate diseases and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It is very important not to neglect it and deal with it quickly.
How do nails grow?
Understanding how nails grow can help make changes to your lifestyle. Which helps promote nail health. Helps define sections of the nail. The nail consists of the nail plate and the nail sheath.
nail plate
The hard part of the nail is called the nail plate. The nail plate, like hair, is primarily made up of a protein called keratin. The nail plate is not composed of living tissue, so the health of the nail plate cannot be improved. But breakage can be prevented, and the key to good nail health definitely starts at the nail plate.
nail sheath;
The nail sheath is the tissue under the nail. If the nail breaks under the tip of the finger, it can expose the nail bed. At the base of the nail is a structure called the nail root, which is where nail growth begins.
Long-term approaches to nail health support the nail bed, root and surrounding skin. If these areas are healthy, it allows the nails to grow longer and stronger.
Weak or brittle nails can also be an early warning of some health issues, such as nutritional deficiencies, diabetes, and nutrient deficiencies.
15 signs on the nails indicate diseases and a lack of vitamins and minerals
Let us deduce the condition of the nails and some of the signs above the nail of certain types of nutritional deficiencies, because the outer part of the body gives us several clues as to what is going on inside, just as the problems of a plant. Tell us what’s going on in the soil. Among these signals:
A vertical line appears in the center of the nail
The appearance of a colorless vertical line in the center of the nail can be due to a deficiency of protein, vitamin D or vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 deficiency is also caused by a lack of protein because we usually get it from animal protein.
The appearance of horizontal lines on the nail
These horizontal lines on the nail can be caused by a deficiency of vitamin B3, calcium, or zinc.
The appearance of white spots and dots on the nail
The appearance of whiteheads on the nails is most often due to a zinc deficiency caused by a diet high in carbohydrates. And because nail growth takes 6 months. Thanks to this, it is possible to track the estimate of the period during which carbohydrate intake was increased. Likewise, when the white dot appears in the middle, it probably happened 3 months ago.
Nails break
The occurrence of a simple crack in the nails may worsen to a state of fragility and brittleness, and if you happen to notice a crack in one of your nails as a result of a blow, this may be due to a deficiency in vitamin B6 or a deficiency of magnesium.
Nail brittleness
In the case of brittle nails, it is possible that the cause is due to a deficiency of iron and hydrochloric acid. A deficiency of hydrochloric acid affects the proper absorption of magnesium or iron. In this case, the acidity should be enhanced to facilitate nutrient absorption.
The appearance of a white color on the nail
When the white color covers the entire nail, it may be the cause of severe protein deficiency, damage to the liver and kidneys, or as a result of taking antibiotics, which may be the cause of the problem.
Weak nails
Very weak nails and not strong enough is attributed to a lack of calcium, which gives the nail its strength and hardness. Vitamin D is essential in this case for its role in promoting calcium absorption. Vitamin D helps boost calcium absorption by 20 times.
Clubbing of the fingers
Clubbing of the fingers and turning the shape of the nails into what looks like a square box may usually be attributed to a problem in the heart, liver, or a problem in the lungs due to lack of oxygen.
Spoon nail
The shape of a spoon when the tip of the nail protrudes to the top, the reason is iron deficiency. As we mentioned above, the deficiency of some minerals and vitamins may affect the health of the nails.
Blue nails
When the color of the nails tends to be blue, this indicates a lack of oxygen.
yellowing of the nails;
As for when the color of the nails tends to be yellow, this indicates jaundice, which is caused by a problem in the liver when a blockage occurs in the bile ducts. It may also be attributed to a problem with the gallbladder, and in this case it is recommended to take bile salts
Discoloration of the nail
The disappearance of the nail color from the bottom of the nail or the disappearance of the small white horizontal arc from the bottom of the nail, which is usually caused by cirrhosis of the liver, heart problems, or diabetes.
deformity of the nail;
Deformation of the nail, its severe thickness, or the appearance of horizontal bumps in the center of the nail is also attributed to a lack of biotin, which is one of the B vitamins.
Red lines on the nail
The appearance of red vertical lines on the nail, caused by broken blood vessels as a result of vitamin C deficiency. This also results in bleeding gums and telangiectasia (spider veins) in different parts of the body.
Vertical bumps
The appearance of vertical bumps may be due to several reasons:
protein deficiency
Follow a high carbohydrate diet
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Iron deficiency is also due to not getting it from food because we often get iron and vitamin B12 from animal protein
The various signals that the body alerts us to ensure that we are aware of any imbalance or deficiency within the body before it exacerbates and causes the worst to happen.
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